A teenager who allegedly made and sold hash brownies could serve life in prison because of the ingredients he used.

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Selling potbrownies equates to a life sentence? In the obtuse world of marijuana legalities and economics, where legalized pot rakes in big bucks compared to miniscule illegal amounts yielding maximum punishment, a Texas teen faces a felony charge for adding small bits of marijuana oil to his chocolate brownies.

Jacob Lavoro, a 19-year-old Texas teen, was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony in April. Lavoro has been sitting in Williamson County jail on $30,000 bond. According to the Daily Mail, the teen didn’t even use actual solid marijuana bits – he used hash oil, and because of that, authorities used a strange means to determine his guilt: they weighed the entire pan of brownies.

NewsMax explains however the strange reasoning that applies in this case, and why Lavoro’s sentence is so potentially harsh:

The reason for the first-degree felony charge, which carries a sentence of five years to life in prison, is because Texas state law allows for the weight of the entire product — which, in this case, includes the flour, sugar, butter, and other ingredients in the pot brownies — to be counted toward the total weight of the drugs seized.

Based on the weight, Round Rock police in Texas seized close to two pounds of “illegal drugs,” meaning that Jacob will face a minimum of five years behind bars, but could also end up with a life sentence. While the max penalty is unlikely, the fact that the potential sentence is so severe may impact the teen’s ability to plea bargain down.

While Jacob did not comment, his father spoke to the media: “Five years to life? I'm sorry. I'm a law abiding citizen. I'm a conservative. I love my country. I'm a Vietnam veteran, but I'll be d****d. This is wrong. This is d**n wrong!” said Joe Lavoro, Jacob's father, to KEYE-TV.

“If he did something wrong, he should be punished — but to the extent that makes sense,” Joe said. “This is illogical. I’m really upset, and I’m frightened, I’m frightened for my son.”

Jacob’s lawyer, Jack Holmes, also spoke out against the incredulous sentence his client is facing.

“I was outraged,” Holmes told KEYE-TV. “I've been doing this 22 years as a lawyer and I've got 10 years as a police officer and I've never seen anything like this before. They've weighed baked goods in this case,” Holmes added, laughing. “It ought to be a misdemeanor.”

So, is Lavoro getting his “just desserts?” Or is this a case of the punishment not even coming near to the crime? Leave your thoughts below.

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Linsey is a married NY mom and is happy to contribute articles relating to top news -- from niche news to banner bulletins. She is passionate about her writing, which she hopes you find appealing and engaging. Her articles are read over a million times each month. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”